A private branch exchange (PBX) is a circuit switch that serves a community of terminals, such as telephones, facsimile machines, and computers. By interconnecting the terminals, the PBX provides an inexpensive and convenient communication network among the community of terminals. The PBX is also connected to nodes in the public switched telephone network (PSTN), thereby providing communication paths to terminals outside the network. Many PBXs also provide a number of special services.
The PBX interconnects the terminals using voice and data lines which are connected to a digital switch via a voice or data interface card. The PBX is connected to the PSTN by a set of trunk lines which are connected to the digital switch via a trunk interface card. The PBX also includes a line scanner for monitoring and detecting activity on the voice, data, and trunk lines.
The PBX is controlled by a processing unit which responds to activity indications from the line scanner, allocates switching resources and service circuits as needed, maintains the connection for the duration of each call, returns the resources to idle state to await other calls, and supports numerous service features such as voice mail, call transfer, and conference calls. The processing unit also supports a user interface through which a user can control the operation of various features of the PBX.
The user interface is usually similar to a user interface of a computer system. The processing unit receives inputs from the user through a keyboard or mouse and displays outputs on a visual display. By inputting various commands, the user can cause the PBX to perform various requested operations. Additionally, many PBXs include an integrated database which can store user name/extension pairs and other information. The processing unit allows the user to access the information in a quick and reliable manner. By providing the user with the foregoing functions, the user at the user interface is well situated to act as a system administrator for the PBX.
The telephone terminals connected to the PBX operate in one of three different modes. In each functional mode, the telephone terminal operates in the way that meets the user""s communication needs according to the task the user is performing. This is achieved by providing an informative visual display and arrays of programmable keys on the terminal to invoke frequently used service features that are designed for the functional mode. In a regular user mode, the user is able to receive incoming calls directed to a particular directory number and make outgoing calls. In an operator mode, the user is able to answer and route calls directed to the PBX to a particular one of the telephone terminals. In an Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) agent mode, the user can answer calls which are directed to one or multiple subgroups of the PBX.
In many cases, the functional mode of a particular telephone terminal is predefined and impossible to change. In other cases, the functional mode of a telephone can only be changed by a PBX system administrator. Because the operator telephone terminal and ACD agent telephone terminal are stationary, the mobility of the operator and the ACD agent are confined to the proximate area of the operator telephone terminal or the ACD agent telephone terminal.
The foregoing imposes a number of undesirable limitations which affect the operation of the PBX. For example, quite often a secretary who answers a particular telephone terminal is also be asked to act as an operator or an ACD agent. Where the secretary""s telephone terminal is not in the proximate area of the operator terminal or the ACD agent terminal, the restriction on the mobility of the operator or ACD agent becomes unduly inconvenient.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to remove restrictions on the mobility of PBX operators and ACD agents.
It is also an object of the present invention to simplify changing functional modes of telephone terminals in PBX systems.
The present invention is directed to a system, method, and apparatus for changing the functional mode of operation of a telephone terminal in a private branch exchange (PBX) by receiving a request from the telephone terminal to change the functional mode, deactivating the current functional mode of operation, and activating the new functional mode of operation for the telephone terminal.